Songwriting - waitlist
In this class, we'll explore how to write songs that will draw the listener into a place, time, and story, and what it takes to keep them there. As well as working within our own personal styles, we'll look at traditional music and see what there is to learn from the songs, melodies, and stories that have stood the test of time. We'll examine the power of a good chord progression, and melody, and look at some basic theory and methodologies for creating them. We'll talk about stylistic and aesthetic choices we have that might make our songs fit into a specific ""folk"" genre such as bluegrass, old-time, or country. Most importantly, we'll share our experiences as songwriters and hopefully inspire each other.
Chris Coole wrote his first song about Wayne Gretzky when he was 7 years old. Since that auspicious (and very Canadian) start, he has recorded his own original songs on 3 solo albums (Old Dog, Tumbling River, The Old Man and the C Chord), as well as albums by The Foggy Hogtown Boys and The Lonesome Ace Stringband. Chris has been a student of traditional music forms for 30 years, and the fact that his songs are often described as sounding ""old"", or (when he's lucky) ""timeless"" is a reflection of that influence. His songs have been covered by such artists as The Grasscals, Jenny Whiteley, The Sweet Lowdown, Megan Lynch, and Eli West.
""Renowned for his clawhammer banjo picking, Coole now establishes himself as a gripping songwriter."" - Roddy Campbell, Penguin Eggs Magazine
